Violet Crown

$ 34.00

Violet Crown 2020 - Single Variety, One Elm Vineyard, High Plains, 2020. Native Ferment, ~14 mos aging in oak, 8% new oak. 13.5% alcohol. 300 cases.

Violet Crown is one of our defining wines, and the most widely appreciated. The 2010 vintage was the first wine that Ross & Cooper made together and marks the earliest inception of The Austin Winery. The 2017 Vintage won Double Gold at Houston Rodeo: Best in Class & Texas Class Champion.

This blend is well-balanced and agreeable to fruit and spice motivated drinkers alike. With a smooth mid-palate and lasting finish, this wine is extremely versatile in its pairings.

The name references one of the oldest nicknames for Austin - the city of the Violet Crown. The earliest reference is said to be from 1894 in O. Henry's "Tictocq: The Great French Detective, In Austin":

The drawing-rooms of one of the most magnificent private residences in Austin are ablaze of lights. Carriages line the streets in front, and from gate to doorway is spread a velvet carpet, on which the delicate feet of the guests may tread. The occasion is the entrée into society of one of the fairest buds in the City of the Violet Crown.

The phrase is generally thought to refer to the atmospheric phenomenon more commonly known as the Belt of Venus. The phrase is also said to be connected to the moonlight towers of Austin.

Another explanation: during the 19th century, residents began to call Austin the "Athens of the South" for its university. With his sly reference to the poetry of Pindar, O. Henry may have been satirizing Austin's ambitious claim of a cultural link to ancient Athens.